Dangerously Realistic Simulations of a Coronavirus Outbreak
The recent outbreak of MERS CoV in the United Arab Emirates highlights just how devastating coronavirus can be, but it also leaves many questions unanswered. Where did the virus come from? How do we know if it has mutated or been tampered with? How can we prevent another outbreak like this one? Luckily, there are excellent resources available to help understand and prepare for an eventual coronavirus outbreak in the future, so you won’t be caught off guard when it does happen. Check out these three resources now to learn more about dangerous viruses like coronavirus!
Hospital infection control and standard precautions
You can’t prevent viruses from infecting people, but you can make sure that they don’t spread easily. There are simple ways to avoid getting and spreading virus-related diseases—like using hand sanitizer and covering your coughs and sneezes. This is why hospitals are more dangerous than most other settings: many patients are immunocompromised, their immune systems incapable of fighting off even common germs.
Standard precautions are practices that all healthcare personnel must follow to avoid spreading infection. These include
In most circumstances, standard precautions do not apply to visiting family and friends. However, if you visit someone who is sick with a respiratory virus such as RSV or influenza, wash your hands before touching them and avoid touching their mucous membranes—which means that you should cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. If you have small children, make sure that they don’t share cups or food with other people during visits.
Public information about how to avoid transmission
Knowing how to identify and avoid transmission is imperative. Most research indicates that COV-19 is transmitted through droplets, primarily in enclosed spaces (hospitals). Transmission can also occur via contact with infected fluid or bodily fluids, so healthcare workers must be especially cautious when dealing with patients who have been diagnosed with Covid 19 infection. If possible, it is best to avoid direct contact with an infected patient; if not possible, use extreme caution and wear protective gear including gloves and face masks.
Covid 19’s incubation period is unknown at present, but researchers have discovered that it most likely takes between two and seven days to manifest symptoms. People who come in contact with an infected person (either directly or indirectly) should monitor their health for at least five days after exposure. If you begin experiencing flu-like symptoms, seek medical attention immediately and inform your physician that you may have been exposed to Covid 19 infection. Stay informed on new research by following local and international media outlets, as well as health organizations like WHO. While it is impossible to predict how common COV-19 will become in coming years, we know now that its pathogenicity makes it one of the most dangerous pathogens today.
Containing an outbreak
The worst-case scenario for a coronavirus is that it jumps from its host species to humans and causes an outbreak. We’ve been monitoring outbreaks in other animals—mainly bats—for years, but recently both human and animal strains have been identified. While we aren’t exactly sure how to contain an outbreak, we do know that health care professionals need access to quick testing methods and immunizations if an outbreak does occur.
In addition to doctors and veterinarians, public health officials will also be on high alert in case of an outbreak. Fortunately, monitoring outbreaks in other animal species has taught us some important lessons about how to contain them—mainly by figuring out where they occur and studying their genetics. This information allows scientists to predict areas that may have coronaviruses with pandemic potential, so we can closely monitor those regions for any infections that look suspicious. Public health officials will also be more prepared to respond if there’s an outbreak—by coordinating with wildlife experts on interventions like preventing bats from roosting close to humans and possibly culling infected populations.
Treating infected patients
Like with most infections, early treatment can greatly improve patient outcomes. No antiviral drugs have been shown to be effective in treating human coronaviruses like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), MERS or NCoV, but there are still steps you can take to lower your risk of contracting it or spreading it to others.
Similar to HIV and Hepatitis B, infected patients can still engage in most activities and their risk of spreading it is no greater than if they were not infected. However, people with symptoms are still advised to avoid touching other people. If you come into contact with an infected person, wash your hands immediately with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. While you can’t take antibiotics for non-serious illnesses like colds or flu, antiviral drugs like Tamiflu have been shown to shorten infections from 5–7 days to just 24 hours. Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as face masks could also help reduce transmission rates and keep people safe.
The role of doctors in containing the virus
Doctors should remain calm and continue with their current duties until told otherwise. They should make sure to update their knowledge on Covid 19. Currently, there is no known cure for Covid 19 but it has been noted that if we can contain its spread throughout society, then doctors might be able to find a way to cure it later on in research labs.
The future is dependent on the past…
Influenza viruses that make animals and humans sick have been around for millions of years. The future is dependent on what happened in the past, so it’s useful to look at historical patterns in order to anticipate what will happen in 2022.
Influenza viruses that make animals and humans sick have been around for millions of years. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 is currently responsible for most known avian influenza outbreaks, which started in China in 1996. The current form of human outbreak began in 2003 when people became infected from eating infected chickens sold on the black market.
Summary
Similar to HIV and Hepatitis B, infected patients can still engage in most activities and their risk of spreading it is no greater than if they were not infected. However, people with symptoms are still advised to avoid touching other people. If you come into contact with an infected person, wash your hands immediately with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. While you can’t take antibiotics for non-serious illnesses like colds or flu, antiviral drugs like Tamiflu have been shown to shorten infections from 5–7 days to just 24 hours. Non-pharmaceutical interventions such as face masks could also help reduce transmission rates and keep people safe.